Daddy Issues
by klaineisforeverstrong
Summary: At 13, Blaine comes out to his family. His father tries to change him. One day, Blaine lashes out at his father. In response, his father hits him. What affect will Blaine's strained relationship with his father have on his relationship with Kurt? Klaine.
1. Prologue: Cars & Pain

**Author's Note:**

Please refer to next chapter's Author's Note before continuing. Thank you.

* * *

Blaine was thirteen years old. It was his very first boy/girl party. Sure, he was friends with some of the girls (he had to be to get this invite, right?) but it was still quite nerve-wracking. Especially when the adults decided to leave the kids alone in the cool basement to have their fun and everyone decided to play Seven Minutes in Heaven.

The birthday girl, Adrianna, stood up in front of the group. The month was January and she was the first to have a birthday, making her the only fourteen year old in the room. "Okay everyone, so here's how it works. Since I'm the birthday girl, I get to pick who goes in the closet and first..." she paused, tapping her finger against her plump, pink lips. "Me and Blaine." She grinned at the short, curly-haired boy like she had given him the opportunity of a lifetime as people wolf-whistled and cat-called. Most of the boys would kill for the opportunity Blaine was getting, but the only emotion he could think of right now was fear. His father had always taught him that a real man was never afraid so he stood up, straightened himself out, plastered a grin on his face and followed Adrianna into the closet.

It was dark. That was the first thing Blaine noticed after he shut the door of the tiny, cramped closet. He could still faintly hear the dance beats blaring out of the stereo. Before he even got the chance to breathe, Adrianna's lips were on his. She kissed him savagely, all teeth and tongue and lust but no _love_, no _passion_. Isn't that what kissing was about? Blaine's hands instinctively flew to her waist as she ran her fingers through his dark curls. "I've liked you for such a long time," she whispered between kisses.

"Yeah?" Blaine asked as her mouth moved down his jawline, along his neck and collarbone.

"Mmhm," she murmured. "I've wanted this since the second I saw you. You're so hot."

Wasn't Blaine supposed to feel flattered by that comment? Wasn't he supposed to be turned on as she kissed and sucked on his neck? He didn't feel anything. To be honest, he just felt uncomfortable. He felt bad for Adrianna, the way she was throwing herself at him and he simply wasn't interested. There was no chemistry.

"Adrianna?" Blaine tried to stop her.

"Hm?" she muttered, face still pressed against his neck.

"Adrianna, you gotta stop."

Adrianna looked him in the eyes. Now that his own eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he could just barely pick out her pretty, feminine face. She had big, doe eyes and a large pouty mouth. Blaine could understand why most guys wanted her so badly. What he didn't understand was why he didn't. "What?"

"I don't like you that way," Blaine explained, dropping his hands from her waist. "I'm really sorry."

Adrianna laughed bitterly to herself. "All the good ones are gay," she sighed to herself. Suddenly, her emotions switched from self-pity to anger. "You're just a fag," she spat in his face as she opened the door to the closet.

Blaine squinted as the room came into focus. "Hey! That was only four minutes!" someone protested.

"My party," Adrianna explained bitterly.

Gay, Blaine thought. He was old enough to know what the word meant, but he had never really applied it to himself before. Could he be gay? Was that why he never really gave the girls the time of day? Was that why he felt nothing with Adrianna? Was that why it had stung so much when she called him a fag? He wasn't sure at this point.

"Thomas, Vanessa. Get in there," Adrianna announced. More cat-calls and wolf-whistles were heard as Thomas pumped his fist in the air, throwing a wink Blaine's way. Blaine and Thomas were best friends. This was Thomas' way of saying "Isn't she a hottie? Wish me luck!" Something twisted inside of Blaine's stomach and suddenly he felt like he was going to be sick. Was this jealousy? What was he jealous of? As he watched Thomas and Vanessa walk into the closet, everything clicked. Adrianna was right. He was gay. And to add to it, he had a crush on his best friend. All of this was too much to handle. He felt even more sick to his stomach.

Blaine crossed the room and approached Adrianna and her friends, pulling her aside. "Change your mind, Anderson?" she smiled, smacking her lips. Blaine's gut wrenched a little more.

"No," Blaine answered quietly. "I'm not feeling well. I was wondering where the phone was so I could call home."

Adrianna pouted, silently handing him the phone standing on the cherry-wood end table. Blaine nodded his thanks and dialed his sister's cell phone number. "Hello?" she answered after the first ring.

"Hi Jen," Blaine responded. "It's Blaine."

"Hey, Buddy. What's up?"

"I'm at Adrianna's party. I was wondering if you could come pick me up; I'm not feeling well."

"Be right there," Jen hung up the phone and sped to get her little brother.

Blaine was waiting on the steps, despite the cold January weather, for his sister. He couldn't bear to be around these people when his mind was flying in a million different directions. He sighed, pulling his warm, knit toque over his ears and crossing his arms over his chest with a shiver. Just then, his sister pulled up. "Hop in, Buddy!" she called. Jen always called him Buddy. He claimed to hate it, but they both knew he secretly loved it. Blaine ran to the car, quickly taking a seat and escaping the cold.

Jen could see the worry and fear on Blaine's face. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, her own face contorting with concern. Jen and Blaine looked very alike. They both had unruly, dark curls and amber-hazel eyes.

Blaine took a deep breath, deciding to come right out with it. He knew he could trust his sister more than anyone. She could be very mature and understanding when she wanted to be. She was a senior in a local community college, despite their family's money and reputation. She didn't want to rely on or take advantage of it so she payed for her own schooling and went into the school that her marks deserved. She was studying to be a nurse. "I think I'm gay," he announced, all in one breath.

Jen grabbed her brother's gloved hand in her own, giving it a small squeeze, encouraging him to continue.

"At the party, we played Seven Minutes in Heaven. Adrianna picked me to go in with her and I didn't feel anything. It just felt sloppy and wrong. And then later, Thomas went in with Vanessa and I just felt so jealous." By now, tears were running down Blaine's cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Jen insisted in a small voice. "For crying or for being gay? You don't have to apologize for either. I'll always love you, no matter what. Alright?"

Blaine looked into his sister's eyes which were also growing moist. He threw his arms around her and buried his face into her neck. "Thank you," he muttered.

Jen wrestled Blaine off of her. "You know, you're gonna have to tell Mom and Dad about this."

Blaine sighed. He knew that. That was the part he was the most scared of. Blaine and Jen came from a wealthy family with a high-class reputation. Having a gay son probably wouldn't help mantain that. Especially not in Ohio. They'd be forced to accept him - they were family, after all - but they wouldn't be happy. Blaine finally nodded at his sister.

Jen grabbed Blaine's hand again. "It's gonna be hard," she informed him. "But I believe in you. You're strong, Blaine; a lot stronger than you think. And I know you can do this." She gave him a small, encouraging smile and Blaine couldn't help the tiny grin that spread across his face.

"I love you, sis," he told her.

"I love you too, Buddy."

When Blaine and Jen returned home, dinner was on the table. The smell of the delicious food wafted to Blaine's nose as he entered the house. He would love to say that his mother had made the meal, but that would be the work of their maid. They were a well-off family and they took almost unfair advantage of that. Anna and Hugh were already seated, chatting about business and politics as per usual. Blaine and Jen took their seats.

"Hello, dear," Anna greeted them both. "Are you all washed up?" They nodded. "Good, then let's say grace."

That was another bad thing about Blaine's impending confession. He came from a family of strong Christians; a faith where gay was not okay. Blaine held his sister's hand and his father's as his mother muttered the usual thanks. "Amen," they all finished, picking up their utensils and beginning to eat.

"How was Adrianna's party?" Anna asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm gay," Blaine muttered under his breath suddenly, the confession even catching him by surprise. He felt his sister stiffen beside him, then grab his hand under the table.

"What's that?" Anna asked.

"I'm gay," Blaine said, louder this time, as if hearing it come out of his mouth once made it easier.

Hugh's eyes raised from his meal and into the eyes of his son. The old lines of his forehead crinkled as his eyebrows drew together in anger. The look quickly faded as Hugh shook his head and laughed. "No, you aren't."

"Do you really think I'd kid about this?" Blaine questioned, standing and looking his dad in the eyes.

"You're not gay," Hugh told him, fiercer this time, almost like he were threatening him. Jen continued to hold Blaine's hand.

"I wouldn't say it unless I were one hundred precent sure," Blaine pushed.

"My son is not a fag," Hugh spat, standing. Blaine winced as the derogatory term was directed at him a second time. "How do you even know? Have you even kissed a girl?"

"Yes, I have," Blaine informed him. "Today, at the party, Adrianna kissed me and... and I didn't feel anything. It was just... sloppy. And - and then Thomas and Vanessa went in the closet and I just felt so jealous and it all just clicked." Blaine was crying at this point and his father wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Blaine, we are a high-profile family," Hugh began to explain. "We cannot have a gay son. It would ruin us."

"It's not like I'm letting my freak flag fly!" Blaine shrieked. "I never seemed gay did I? It's not like you have to introduce me as your gay son. I'm not telling you because of that. I'm telling you because I want you to know and I want you to be a part of my life," Blaine took a deep breath, trying to rid himself of the sobs that made his body wretch inward, to no avail. "None of your homophobic business partners have to know. Sure, one day I'm gonna wanna get married and adopt a couple babies, but until then..." Blaine couldn't believe he was saying this. "I can hide. I can pretend. And you know why? Because I love you and we're a family and I know you're gonna accept me, no matter what." Blaine paused and received no answer from his father. "Right?" his voice wavered desperately.

Hugh shook his head. "I don't think I can," he answered and Blaine's heart dropped in his chest. "I've never been so disappointed in you," he informed him, leaving the table and heading up the stairs.

Blaine took his seat again, placing his head in his hands. Shouldn't this realization have empowered him? Not make his world crumble all around him. Jen rubbed soothing circles into his back for a few moments as he collected himself. Finally, he sat up straight, looking across the table to his mother. He gave her an expectant look. "Mom?"

Anna shook her head. "Eat your dinner, sweetheart."

Jen was more shocked than Blaine. "Aren't you gonna say something?"

Anna tuned out her children, continuing to eat her dinner as Blaine began to cry again. This was going to be a long process.

Over the rest of the school year, Blaine didn't talk to his parents much. They especially didn't speak of Blaine's sexuality; which was why it caught him off guard when his father pulled him aside after his Grade 8 graduation.

"I wanna spend some time together this summer. Alright?" Hugh asked him, a smile on his face.

Blaine simply nodded, choking up. Maybe his father would come to accept him after all.

So they did spend time together. Hugh took him on many fishing and hiking trips and after about a month, he finally brought up the elephant in the room.

"So," his father began, awkwardly dragging out the word. "You still think you're gay?"

And suddenly, Blaine realized what this was all about. It wasn't about father/son bonding or proving that he accepted him. It was about trying to convert him. That was why the activities they did were always so masculine. Blaine took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool as he answered his father. "Yes, and my mind isn't going to be changed," he answered, giving him a subtle warning.

Hugh just nodded and Blaine almost thought he had won. "You like cars?" his father asked him after some silence.

Blaine just shrugged, the sun beating down on him, reflecting off the water the little fishing boat floated on and into his eyes, making him squint.

"I saw a '59 Chevy for sale down at the used car lot. It's pretty damaged but it's a nice car and they're hard to find. I was thinking about buying it and fixing it up together. Whaddya think?"

Blaine just nodded. "Sounds like fun."

A few weeks later, Blaine and Hugh were in the driveway, piecing the car together from scratch. It proved difficult and definitely not fun. The hot July sun threw golden rays down at the pair, burning their backs and necks, each working shirtless rather than ruining a perfectly good shirt with dirt, sweat and car grease.

After a few hours, Anna came outside with a pitcher of lemonade. "Refreshments?" she called with a smile.

Hugh approached her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, sweetheart. Run inside."

Blaine sat down on the porch step next to his dad, in the shade. He sipped on the refreshing lemonade when suddenly Hugh spoke up. "So, Adrianna kissed you, huh?" he asked.

"Yupp," Blaine confirmed, slightly caught off guard.

"Tell me about it."

"I think I told you all you need to know," Blaine replied. "It was sloppy and I didn't feel anything."

Hugh nodded, taking a long pull from his lemonade. "Blaine, you can't be gay," he finally said.

Blaine nearly began to shake with anger. He had suspected it before, but now he knew for sure. This summer wasn't bonding. His father was simply hoping that getting his hands dirty would make him straight. Blaine couldn't hold it back anymore. "You're disgusting," he spat at his father. "This summer wasn't about us. It was about you trying to convert me. Why is it so hard for you to accept me for who I am?"

Hugh sighed, running a hand through his hair, just like Blaine's only laced with gray. "Because it's wrong."

"Love is love!" Blaine exclaimed. "Who gives a crap who the person is? The feeling is the same. Why should I be reprimanded for the way I feel?" Blaine paused. "I'm not the bad one here; you are. If you're gonna go the Christian way and say it's "wrong" to be gay, aren't you also in the wrong for not accepting everyone for who they are? You're just as bad as me. In fact, you're worse."

"Blaine," Hugh warned, looking into his lap.

Blaine stood up and began to pace. "I gotta get this off my chest!" he stated. "You're supposed to be my father. You're supposed to love me and support me when no one else will. But now, just because of my gender preference, you refuse to accept me and try to change me. You're disgusting."

And that's when it happened. Blaine never saw it coming. All at once, his father stood and punched his son, his own flesh and blood, right in the face. Blaine fell to the ground, his arm falling onto a rock, slicing it open. Blaine bit back a scream as his father reached down to his level. A flicker of guilt spread across his face as he looked into his son's watery eyes, quickly replaced again by anger. "I think we both know who the disgusting one is here," he hissed, walking into the house.

Jen made her way to the front door, a smile on her face, coming to speak to her father and brother. Her father pushed past her and through the door. She frowned, heading out to see Blaine. She nearly screamed at the sight of him, sprawled on the driveway, clenching his bleeding arm, a bruise already beginning to form on his face. She ran to his side. "What happened?" she questioned, but she didn't even need to ask. She had seen the look on their father's face. It was him. "I'll be right back," Jen told him, running inside to get the first aid kit. She thanked God for her nursing background; it couldn't have come more in handy. She ran up the spiral staircase, panting. She couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or fear. She ran by her mother and father's room, catching the tail-end of their argument.

"-destroy us! He's a disgrace!" she heard her father scream.

"He's just a boy!" her mother argued. Silence. She heard a soft sob escape her mother's mouth. "Get out," she nearly whispered, but her father heard it loud and clear. Jen could hear the opening of drawers and the zip of a duffel bag as she searched for the first aid kit.

As she exited her bedroom, her father exited his own. She gave him a dark glare and ran out of the house, to her waiting brother. Her blood ran cold as she witnessed him on the pavement, weeping into the gravel, ignoring the way it scratched uncomfortably against his face. He continued to grip onto his bleeding arm as his sister arrived at his side.

"Sh," she whispered, brushing sweaty curls off his forehead. "I'm here. You're gonna be alright."

He nodded, biting back tears as he opened the first aid kit to find what she needed. As she started to disinfect the cut running down his arm, Hugh exited the house, stone-faced. He passed by his children without a glance, throwing his duffel bag into the back seat of his car and stepping into the driver's seat. He glanced at the rearview mirror as he pulled out, witnessing Jen bandage up his son. He remained emotionless as he backed out of the driveway and drove down the road.

Blaine woke up in his familiar, dark blue bedroom with his sister by his side. His right eye was swollen to the point that he couldn't even open it and his arm stung more than he could put into words. "Hey, Buddy," she greeted him.

"What happened?" he questioned.

"You don't remember?" she asked, a sympathetic look washed over her face.

And suddenly, the memory came rushing back to him. His entire body shivered and Jen noticed. "You remember," she said it as a statement, not a question.

All he could muster was a nod.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Blaine shook his head.

"Okay. Well, I called Grandma and Grandpa and they're picking us up in a bit," she informed him.

"Us?" he rasped.

"I'm obviously coming with you, Buddy," she smiled and Blaine grinned too. Suddenly, his mother entered the room.

Jen glanced up at her quickly, but returned her gaze to Blaine. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to Blaine," Anna answered.

Jen gave her a look and Anna nodded, telling her to trust her. Jen nodded back and exited the room, leaving mother and son to talk.

"How you feeling?" Anna asked, taking his hand.

Blaine glanced down at their intertwined fingers before answering, "Like shit."

Normally Anna would have reprimanded him for his language, but she didn't want to fight. "What your father did was wrong." Anna said, surprising Blaine. "There was no excuse." she paused. "You're not safe at home. So, I think you should go to Dalton Academy. You know, the school your cousin Harvey went to? It's a great opportunity and it would get you away from your father. It's win/win," she explained. When he didn't respond, she informed him, "It's up to you."

"I wanna go," Blaine answered.

"Then it's settled," Anna smiled, standing up and smoothing out her dress. As she turned to leave she remembered something. "And honey?"

Blaine looked at her expectantly.

"I still love you."

**

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**

Author's Note Two:

I know, I know. There's no Kurt here, but this is the prologue. There will be plenty of Kurt from here on out. I already have the entire plot planned out. It's gonna be quite the ride. Nineteen chapters worth actually.

Anyone catch the _Sexy_ reference?

AND OH MY GOD YOU GUYS! ORIGINAL SONGS? BEST EPISODE OF LIFE.

KLAINE HAPPENED. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I INJURED MYSELF WITH HAPPINESS. I WAS FLAILING SO MUCH THAT I TWISTED MY NECK AND HAD TO SLEEP WITH AN ICE PACK.

Oh, and I have every Kurt and Blaine scene in the episode memorized. :3 I was reciting them for my mom and my brother thought I was crazy. :)

BUT YEAH, ORIGINAL SONGS WAS AMAZING.

I'm making my non-Glee watching friend watch it with me. I'll let you guys know how that goes. ;)

CHEESUS! I USE THIS THING LIKE A DIARY.

I rant. A lot.

Anywho, review! Love you all!


	2. An Apology

**Author's Note:**

This chapter is simply an Author's Note. I'd just like to address some issues.

I had a reader write to me, complaining about the following part of the story...

_"He came from a family of strong Christians; a faith where gay was not okay."_

I would like the oppurtunity to _deeply _apologize to anyone who was offended by this line. I, myself, am a Christian and have absolutely no problems with gays. I would like to make it known that I was not trying to discriminate against Christians or call them homophobic. I know there are many Christians who accept gays with open arms.

My comment about gay not being "okay" was more so talking about the Bible's comments. We all know that the Bible is against homosexuality.

_1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." _

_Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."_

_Leviticus 20:13 - "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." _

Of course, most Christians have modernized the faith and come to accept homosexuals.

Why do I always go overboard with these things?

Anyway, the point of this is to apologize. I did not mean to offend anyone and I hope that this entry will clear up any confusion on the meaning of my comments.

Thank you for reading. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.


	3. Chapter One: Dinner & Flashbacks

Blaine's phone rang with the call he had come to expect. Every Tuesday at eight o'clock, Jen would call to check in on Blaine and give him the latest about her life. The phone hadn't even finished blaring out the first bars of _Teenage Dream_ when Blaine answered. "Hey, sis," he said with a smile.

"Hey, Buddy! How's it goin'?" she asked.

"It's goin' good," Blaine answered honestly. "Great actually. How about you?"

"Fantastic," she grinned and Blaine could hear it through the phone. "And I have good news."

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh my God!" Blaine exclaimed. Jen had been married for about a year now to her high school sweetheart, Jarrett. They were sickeningly adorable. "Were you planning it?"

"Not conciously," Jen answered. "But I'm defintely not complaing. Neither is Jarrett." A few beats of silence. "We're gonna be a family."

"And I'm gonna be an uncle," Blaine grinned. "I'm so happy for you."

"Me too, me too," Jen agreed. "But enough about me - what's going on with you?"

"Things are good," Blaine answered.

"I know you wanna talk about Kurt," Jen teased. "Tell me the latest. Spill it."

Blaine laughed at his sister's antics. "Actually, he's coming to Dalton."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "So you guys can make out in the dorms in between classes instead of you racing down to Lima?"

Blaine laughed again. "Not exactly. I wish it were his choice. Remember how he was getting bullied but he only told me?"

Jen muttered her understanding.

"Well, people finally started noticing so Kurt told his story and got the kid expelled," Blaine explained. "But he appealed to the school board and got back in. Kurt couldn't stay there with Karofsky still around, his parents understood that, so they gave up their honeymoon money and sent Kurt here."

"Good for him," Jen replied. "He'll be safe. Lord knows it's been good to you." Blaine smiled to himself. "So, how about romantically?" Blaine could practically hear her wink.

"Nothing," Blaine answered with a sigh. "I haven't seen him since dinner with him and Mercedes the other day. We've been texting back and forth, but -" Blaine pulled the phone away from his ear as he heard it beep. "Hang on a second. I've got another call," he informed his sister. He pressed the necessary button and pulled the phone back to his ear. "Hello?" he answered politely.

"Hey, Blaine," Blaine would recognize that voice anywhere - it was Kurt.

"Hey, Kurt!" Blaine greeted, mood instantly getting better. "What's up?"

"I was telling my dad all about Dalton and you," Blaine could just imagine the adorable way the tips of Kurt's ears would have turned red as he said that. "And he wants to meet you." Kurt explained. "Just to make sure you'll be able to take care of me," Kurt quickly backtracked, realizing the way what he had said could have been misinterpeted.

"I'd love to," Blaine told him honestly. "Listen, I gotta go but text me the details and I'll be there. Alright?"

"Okay," Kurt smiled.

"Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Blaine ended his call with the small soprano, returning his attention to his sister. "I'm back," he informed her breathlessly.

"What was that about?" she asked, non-judgementally. Blaine could practically see her sitting back in a chair, feet propped up, shamelessly eating from the tub of_ Ben&Jerry's Half Baked _and inspecting her cuticles.

"That was Kurt," Blaine answered.

Blaine heard the clatter of a spoon and knew he was right about at least a quarter of his theory. He knew his sister too well. "Spill! What did he want?"

"He wants me to meet his dad. Or, more so, his dad wants to meet me."

Jen let out a low whistle. "Blaine Anderson meets the parents... er, parent," she corrected herself.

"He just wants to see if I'm trustworthy. Kurt said he can be a little overprotective," Blaine explained.

"Worried?" Jen teased.

"Not at all," Blaine answered. "I don't know if you know this already, but I can be quite charming when I want to be. I've been told I'm quite the dapper gentleman."

Jen laughed her rich, melodic laugh. "Of course you are. It's in your blood to charm the pants off everyone you meet," Jen didn't mention which parent he got this quality from, not wanting to bring up their father. Neither one of them wanted to think about him. Blaine hadn't thought about him in two years and he planned on keeping it that way. "Well, Jarrett's getting impatient 'cause _NCIS_ is about to start, so I better go. I'll be calling Tuesday to hear about your date!"

"Not a date," Blaine sighed.

Jen just let out another laugh. "Bye, Buddy."

"Bye. Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

A few days later, Blaine pulled his car up outside of Kurt's house. The house was small and quaint, especially compared to Blaine's home, but he liked it. It was so unlike Kurt, not matching his larger-than-life personality. Blaine politely rang the doorbell a single time. It was Burt who answered the door. He wore a baseball cap on his head, casting a shadow over his kind eyes. He was slightly out of shape, as to be expected for someone of his age. "You must be Blaine," he remarked as he opened the door to the curly haired boy.

"Yes, I am. And you must be Mr. Hummel," Blaine guessed, offering a hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Call me Burt," he corrected, giving the younger boy's hand a firm shake. "C'mon in."

Although the house looked small and quaint from the outside, inside was beautifully decorated in expensive-looking furniture and decorations. Somehow, Blaine immediately knew this had to be Kurt's work.

Kurt walked out of the kitchen at that moment, holding two plates of pasta, one in each hand. He looked so domestic and for some reason Blaine found himself blushing at this. Was it the fact that the image of Kurt in this same position, years into the future, as Blaine got home from work flashed into his mind? He shook it off. "Blaine!" Kurt grinned widely when he spotted his friend. "You're just in time."

Blaine gave him a charming smile, still a little speechless, as he wriggled out of his jacket.

"I'll get Carole and Finn," Burt said, trudging up the stairs.

"Wanna help me with this?" Kurt asked, laying the two dishes on the table.

"Certainly," Blaine agreed, pulling off his scarf and hanging it over his jacket. He walked up the few steps and met Kurt in the kitchen. Whatever Kurt had cooked smelled amazing. "This smells fantastic," Blaine voiced. "My compliments to the chef," he winked, nudging Kurt in the shoulder.

Kurt flushed and picked up two more plates, "Linguine with Shrimp and Creamy Roasted Tomatoes," Kurt informed him. "Wanna get that last plate and the forks and knives?"

"Sure thing," Blaine answered, picking up the items. He carried them to the table and helped Kurt set out the utensils in their proper manner.

Kurt quickly ran to the kitchen again to retrieve a pitcher of ice water. "Perfect," he smiled, hands on his hips, proud of himself.

"Can't wait to eat," Blaine said with a grin and Kurt finally noticed that Blaine was out of uniform. It was the first time Kurt had seen him without the Dalton regulation blazer and he had to admit, he didn't disappoint. Blaine was not as flamboyant in his dressing style as Kurt, but he still looked devilishly good-looking. He wore a dark blue, button-down shirt, tucked into his black trousers. His amber-hazel eyes danced as he noticed Kurt's inspection. "It feels weird to be out of uniform," Blaine laughed, as a way of saying _"I caught you." _"You know, you're looking pretty good yourself," Blaine complimented with a wink.

Kurt flushed and laughed awkwardly as Carole, Finn and Burt entered the dining room. "Honey, this smells amazing," Carole offered, approaching her step-son and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," Kurt grinned, still slightly flustered from Blaine's compliment.

"Finn," the tall boy introduced himself to Blaine, offering his hand.

"Nice to meet you," the much shorter boy said cordially, taking his hand. "I'm Blaine."

"I've heard a lot about you," Finn grinned, directing a wink Kurt's way.

Kurt flushed and swatted at Finn. "I just told them about your advice," Kurt covered.

Blaine gave him a look and laughed. "It's okay. I've told my sister a ton about you," Blaine said, giving Kurt another nudge.

"Let's eat!" Kurt called, growing tired of being the center of attention for once. Everyone took their seats and began to chow down in slightly awkward silence.

"So, Blaine," Burt addressed. "You go to Dalton Academy?"

"I do," Blaine confirmed.

"You're gonna look out for Kurt, right?"

Kurt shot his father a look, but Blaine simply chuckled. "He'll be safe with me," he grinned, looking at Kurt out of the corner of his eye.

"Good to know," Burt grunted.

"What's Dalton like?" Carole asked non-chalantly.

"Kurt will love it," Blaine answered. "It's beautifully grand and elegant, the teachers are fantastic, the students are even better. The classes are a little more challenging, but I think Kurt can handle," he shot the boy what must have been the fiftith grin that night. Carole gave Blaine a large grin, charmed by the prep school boy. Blaine knew he had yet to win over Burt, so he addressed him next. "So, Mr. Hummel, what do you do for a living?" he asked.

"Burt," the older man corrected. "And I own a garage," he answered. "You know anything about cars?"

Suddenly, a flood of memories came rushing back to him. The '59 Chevy, the hot July sun, the sweat, the gravel rubbing against his bare back, the confrontation. A day he hadn't allowed himself to think about in forever came rushing back all at once. His sick, disgusting, homophobic father. Kurt was lucky to have a father like Burt; so accepting, so kind. Burt was a polar opposite of Hugh.

"Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt petite hand squeezed his forearm. "You're pale."

"I-I'm not feeling well," Blaine choked. "Kurt, the food was lovely, but I've got to go. Mr and Mrs. Hummel, Finn; pleasure to meet you."

"Text me later," Kurt called behind him as Blaine quickly ducked out of the door.

Blaine drank large lungfuls of the crisp, frigid, early December air. He had to get a grip. He unlocked his car and stepped inside, allowing his head to fall against the steering wheel. And then the tears began to flow. Blaine quickly wiped them away, gasping for air as he nearly began to hyperventilate from sobbing. He had to _get a grip_. It was two years ago. He couldn't let himself fall apart everytime anyone mentioned anything about cars. He sighed, turning the key in the ignition and heading for Dalton; his safe haven. He just prayed it would be as good to Kurt as it had been to him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Thank you so much to everyone who has added this to story alert and favourited. A special thanks to those who have added myself to author alert or favourite author. And an _extra special _thanks to anyone who has reviewed. They really put the biggest grin on my face. Even the short, meaningless ones telling me to continue. It lets me know someone out there is enjoying the story, and personifies it a little more than just the simple email telling me someone has added it to story alert. No matter what, I appreciate you all. This fandom is awesome!

Oh, and by the way, the chapters will probably be more like this length instead of the length of the prologue. It was much longer because I had to fill you in on where Blaine has come from and his history with his father.

Love you guys! Please review!


	4. Chapter Two: Nightmares & Promises

_Hey. Just checking in. Hope everything's alright with you. Don't be afraid to give me a call ~K_

Kurt's message blared at Blaine's moist eyes. He sighed and took in a deep breath. _Don't be afraid to give me a call. _How could he possibly explain this to him? "Yeah, my dad was emotionally and physically abusive and when your dad mentions fixing up cars, the memories just come flooding back so it would be _real _helpful if you would just get him to _not _talk about his career at all whenever I'm around. Thanks." Not happening.

He was supposed to be Kurt's mentor, the one he looked to for advice. How could he possibly be that for him when Kurt knew he was battling his own demons? Moral, compassionate Kurt would probably pretend like his problems meant nothing just to take Blaine under his wing, maybe even start feeling bad for dumping his own baggage on him.

Blaine ran a heavy hand through his laboriously gelled curls, mauling the issue over. Kurt wasn't going to simply back off because Blaine told him to; he knew better than that. Maybe – he hated even the thought of it – if he ignored Kurt for a little while he would begin to forget about the dinner and it would be in the past.

He hated to do it, but Kurt couldn't know his secret – not yet.

Nobody except for him, Jen, his mother and his godforsaken father knew anything about it. And he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Blaine had this illogical fear that, if he shared his experiences with anyone, Hugh would come and find him and forcibly shut his mouth for him. Or worse – hurt that person. He couldn't put anyone in danger, especially not Kurt. He had to keep his mouth shut. No matter what.

Blaine nodded his head, decision made. He stood up from the Dalton regulation leather couch he had flopped down onto when he entered the room, slipped off his black winter coat and Dalton scarf and got into his pyjamas, hopping into bed for a restless night of tossing and turning.

* * *

"Blaine, I'm so sorry," Kurt soothed, rubbing circles into the small of his back.

"It's not your fault," Blaine choked, trying to gain composure. "You had nothing to with this."

Suddenly, the door to Blaine's dorm came flying open, revealing a tall, dark-haired, older man – Hugh.

Blaine instantly stood up and covered Kurt. "What are you doing here?" he nearly hissed.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone," Hugh smirked, throwing a clear punch into Blaine's jaw. Blaine went tumbling to the ground, gripping the coffee table to try to stand. "And you must be his boyfriend," Hugh grinned maliciously, hitting Kurt with the same force. Kurt screamed in pain, no where near as pain tolerant as Blaine.

"What the hell?" Kurt screamed, his anger letting him quickly gain composure.

"You can't do this!" Blaine yelled in his father's face. "You can't hurt him! This isn't his problem!"

"But he knows," Hugh growled. "And I can't risk him ratting me out. This is _your _fault, Blaine." Hugh plucked Kurt from the couch, not without a fight, and carried him out of the room.

"Blaine!" Kurt screamed as the door slammed shut behind his father.

* * *

Blaine sprang up in bed, coated in a cold, sticky sweat. He sighed, laying back in bed as he tried to make his heart stop racing. _It was only a dream, it was only a dream, _he repeated to himself over and over. There was no way he was getting anymore sleep in this state, so he stepped out of bed and hopped in the shower. The warm steam calmed him slightly, but every time he shut his eyes, Kurt's terrified face labelled the inside of his eye lids. No, he couldn't tell Kurt. He couldn't put him in danger. Who knew what Hugh was capable of.

Blaine wrapped a towel around his hips, walking back to his dorm. His dorm mate was gone away for a mid-year vacation so he didn't have to worry about waking anyone. He entered the room, flicking on the light to begin to get dressed. He plucked his phone off of the nightstand to check for any messages. Three from Kurt.

11:57pm

_You know you can talk to me about anything, right? ~K_

12:34am

_Please just tell me what's wrong. ~K_

1:42am

_I'm going to bed. Meet me at the Lima Bean at 10? ~K_

Blaine let out a heavy sigh. He felt terrible leaving Kurt out of the loop like this. It was obvious he was really worried about him. He _had _to tell him something.

_I'll be there. -Blaine_

* * *

Kurt was sat at their usual table at the Lima Bean, sipping on his grande non-fat mocha with the steaming medium drip sitting across from him, waiting for it's recipient. What was wrong with Blaine? He had been acting so normal all day up until dinner. Kurt racked his brain, trying to think of something that had been said that may have upset him, but he drew a blank. Blaine was always so strong. There had to be something seriously wrong to upset him so much. Kurt sighed, sitting back in the wooden chair as Blaine entered the small cafe, eyes immediately meeting Kurt's. Kurt gave the shorter boy a small grin as he crossed the room. Blaine was visibly upset, but Kurt caught the way his eyes lightened a little when they met with Kurt's; maybe it was wishful thinking.

Blaine stood at the table, looking down at the coffee sitting on the table. "Mine?" Kurt nodded. _You _still _know my coffee order, _Blaine mentally noted. He walked over to the barista counter. "Cinnamon," he explained, earning a good-natured eye roll from Kurt.

Blaine finally took his seat, mixing in his cinnamon with a stir stick in a slightly awkward silence. "So," Kurt started, breaking the ice. "Can we just get right to it?"

"Right to what?" Blaine asked.

"Don't play innocent with me," Kurt chided. "What happened last night?"

Blaine took a deep breath, pulling a long gulp of his coffee, slightly burning the inside of his mouth; he was buying time. What was he supposed to say? "Kurt, if it's okay, I'm really not ready to talk about it," Blaine explained, sitting his coffee back down.

Kurt measured his friend's expression carefully. Blaine was always so hard to read. "Fine," Kurt finally agreed. "But the second you're ready -"

"I'll come to you," Blaine finished, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Kurt mimicked his expression, falling into silence. "Are you gonna be okay?" Kurt questioned.

Blaine actually pondered on this. Would he? He had to be; not just for himself, but for Kurt. "Yeah," Blaine replied. "Yeah, I think I will."

Kurt, for once, could see right through him. He could see the fear still lingering in his warm, hazel eyes; eyes which now looked cold. There was nothing he could do though. Blaine had promised he would tell him, that was a far as they were going to get. "Okay," Kurt paused, touching his fingertips to Blaine's hand, currently wrapped around his coffee. "I'm here," he said softly.

"I know," Blaine spoke just as softly, another smile playing on his lips. "Thank you."

* * *

Over the next few days, things had gone back to normal. Any problems had nearly been forgotten. Kurt was still concerned for his friend and hoped he would talk to him, but he forced himself to push the thoughts to the back of his mind. They had been so busying with settling Kurt into Dalton that they hardly even had any time to think anyway.

"Hello there," Blaine greeted, showing up outside of Kurt's final period Latin classroom just as he exited. Blaine took the more slender boy's books into his own empty arms, leading the way to his dorm room. Kurt had decided to board at Dalton (much to Blaine's excitement) and tonight was the first night he would be able to stay the night.

"Hi," Kurt breathed shallowly, still slightly taken aback by Blaine's gentlemanly behaviour after all these weeks.

"How are your classes?" Blaine asked conversationally.

"They're great. They're a lot tougher, but it's better than going on auto-pilot all day at McKinley."

Blaine laughed. "Most of these kids would kill for that."

"Well, I guess I just like a challenge," Kurt dancing eyes met with Blaine's. _Was that flirting? _Blaine shook it off, dragging his eyes away from his _friend's _(he accentuated the word in his mind) delicious looking lips.

"Lot of homework?" Blaine asked, trying to keep on topic and keep any bad thoughts at bay.

"Not really actually," Kurt answered. "I guess they're throwing me a little slack to start."

Blaine chuckled. "Knowing these teachers, that won't last long. You'll be begging for McKinley."

"Never," Kurt replied, the same mysterious emotion dancing in his eyes again.

Blaine chose to ignore, getting around to his point. "Well, if you don't have a lot of homework, why don't you come over tomorrow?"

"To your dorm?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Kurt grinned widely. "I'd love to."

"Alright," Blaine smiled just as widely. "I'll see you at one," he told him, walking backwards. Uncharacteristically awkwardly, he banged into a kid walking down the hall. A small protest of "Watch it!" was heard. Kurt giggled as Blaine brushed himself off, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "I better leave before I embarrass myself any further," Blaine chuckled nervously, wringing the back of his neck with his large, calloused hand. "I'll, um, see ya tomorrow."

Kurt found it all impossibly adorable.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ehh, slightly awkward ending. I gotta get better at wrapping these things up. Sorry this is so late! I've been terribly busy with everything. Which is odd for me because usually I have no life, haha. I don't know which one is better. Beggars can't be choosers, haha.

ANYWHO! READ & REVIEW AND YOU'LL GET FRESHLY BAKED INTERNET COOKIES. YUM!

Love you all! * hearts *


	5. Chapter Three: Arguements & Games

Blaine woke up early Saturday morning. He was excited. But what for? Once the morning fogginess faded away, he remembered – Kurt was coming over. He grinned to himself at the idea of spending the day locked up in his dorm with the adorable soprano. Adorable was always the word that came to mind when it came to Kurt. Everything about him screamed _pinch-my-cheeks-and-cuddle-me. _Of course, there was no denying that he was utterly gorgeous and incredibly sexy as well, but Blaine didn't have time to think about Kurt's appearance (as much as he may have wanted to). Instead, he had to focus on his own.

Blaine forced himself to hop out of the warm bed, filled with happy thoughts of Kurt dancing through his mind. (Great, now he was imagining him frolicking around a room which mysteriously seemed to have walls made of pink spaghetti noodles.)

Blaine trudged into the bathroom, taking a quick look in the mirror. _Oh great, _he was a mess. His curly hair was matted to his forehead, nearly looking like he had taken a straightener to it... and not in a good way. He cringed, debating whether he would try to gel it into submission or hop in the shower and leave it natural. His natural hair was... a sight, that was for sure. He really didn't want to take any risks by gelling his hair, so he decided to jump in the shower and tried not to think about Kurt coming over soon as he ran the soap over his body.

Soon enough, he was showered and dressed. Just as he finished, Kurt sent him a text saying he'd be there in five minutes. Blaine ran a hand through his slightly damp curls, looking in the mirror. There was nothing he could do, he realized with a sigh. Fixing a few more unruly curls with his fingers, there was a knock on his door.

Nervous butterflies fluttered in Blaine's stomache as he went to answer the door. Kurt wouldn't hate him for having terrible, unruly, Frodo hair. Everything was going to be fine. He swung the door open, biting down on his lip to refrain from letting out a low whistle. For a Saturday spent hidden away in a dorm room together, Kurt had dressed to the nines. Really, Blaine shouldn't have expected anything less. Kurt wore an aqua coloured tee shirt, with a grey, hooded pea coat and grey, tassaled scraf thrown around his neck. On his bottom half he wore skin-tight jeans as well as aqua Chucks. He looked amazing, yet comfortable and it was just so _Kurt. _Blaine couldn't help but grin until he realized what he was wearing.

Here Kurt had put so much effort into his outfit and Blaine was simply wearing a grey gym-shirt, laden with the Dalton crest and the phrase _Dalton Rugby Team _spread across it, paired with a pair of loose fitting jeans. And then he remembered his hair. Blaine held his breath, feeling self-concious as Kurt appraised him with his eyes, still standing in the doorway. "You play rugby?" Kurt simply asked.

"Oh, um, yeah, I've been playing every year since I came. It's like football, but you don't need to be as big," Blaine gave him a sheepish grin, running a hand through his hair, part from nervousness, part checking that it hadn't... exploded or something.

Of course, this action drew Kurt's attention. Blaine could see Kurt's eyes weaving through his curls, trying to follow their twisted path. "Is that your natural hair?"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, but I didn't have any time to do anything with it."

"It looks great," Kurt smiled now, meeting Blaine's eyes. "Really, I like it," Kurt answered Blaine's questioning expression. "You use _way _too much product when you don't even really need any. If _I _went without... I don't even wanna talk about it. You can pull off the natural look though."

"I'm sure you'd look great," Blaine smiled charmingly, moving to the side of the doorway and making a grand gesture out of inviting Kurt in.

Kurt strided into the room gracefully, with a snort. "I _really _wouldn't." Kurt took a seat on the leather couch, looking around Blaine's room. Taking note of the second bed, he asked "You have a roomate?"

"Well, we all can't be so lucky," Blaine answered with a teasing smile. Because Kurt had transferred in the middle of the year, he got a room all to himself. It was the envy of all the other boarders.

Kurt smirked and then asked, "Where is he?"

"Vacation," Blaine answered taking a seat next to Kurt on the couch. They were _thisclose_. Not that either of them was paying attention to that.

Kurt took a deep, shaky breath, ignoring how warm Blaine's firm thigh felt pressed up against his own. "In the middle of the year?" Kurt mentally cursed himself for the way his voice had raised an octave since Blaine had took a seat. Did he have any idea what he was doing to Kurt's mind right now?

Blaine made a point of rubbing his thumb against his middle and index fingers, indicating they had money.

"Is that the excuse for everything here?" Kurt asked with a sigh.

Blaine laughed, "Seems like it sometimes. Everyone here is just made of money."

Kurt smiled into his lap as Blaine wrapped his arm around the back of the couch non-chalantly. It defintely _wasn't _Blaine's way of getting closer to him. "So, what do you want to do?" Blaine asked.

"You didn't plan anything?"

"Nope. I figured I'd let you. You're much better at that kind of thing than me. If it were up to me, I'd have us locked up watching sing-along Disney movies," Blaine grinned.

Kurt chuckled. _So Blaine. _He clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "I know what we can do! Do you have hat?"

"Yeah, of course I do," Blaine answered. He went to his closet and pulled out a black, pin-striped fedora, handing it to Kurt.

"Very nice," Kurt offered, spinning it on the tip of his finger.

Blaine clutched a hand to his chest. "Kurt Hummel is complimenting my clothing choices! Oh my!" Blaine pressed his hand, palm facing foward, to his forehead and fell back on the couch, next to Kurt.

Kurt shook his head at him. "Pen and paper?"

Blaine rose silently and crossed the room, handing the objects over. Kurt began frantically writing. Blaine attempted to look over his shoulder but Kurt quickly flinched away. "No peeking!" he demanded, pouting his lips and Blaine was reminded of a young child making the same demand during a game of hide and seek.

Blaine raised his hands in defeat, falling back against the couch once again. He waited patiently for Kurt to finish. Soon, Kurt was ripping the paper into little pieces and throwing them into the fedora. "_What _are you doing?" Blaine finally asked.

"We're gonna play a little conversation game," Kurt answered. "I've always wanted to play this with someone and when we went out for dinner with Mercedes we pretty much did it."

"What is it?" Blaine questioned.

"You just put a bunch of issues in a hat," Kurt rose the hat in the air and gestured towards it with his other hand. "And draw one out. Then you pick and side and argue for it and if the other person doesn't agree, they'll fight back."

Blaine raised a single triangular eyebrow at him.

"Come on!" Kurt protested with a pout, attempting to make puppy dog eyes. "It'll be fun!"

And really, how could Blaine say no to that face?

* * *

Kurt actually turned out to be right. It really _was_ a fun game. They didn't debate about much because most of them they agreed on but they did have an intense debate on the merits of Katy Perry and the never-ending debate of cats versus dogs. There was one slit of paper left in the hat.

Kurt retrieved the hat from the other side of the room and drew the last piece of paper. Religion_, _was neatly scrawled across the piece of paper. "Religion," Kurt read aloud, flopping down on Blaine's bed. "I guess we're done."

"You're really religious too?" Blaine innocently asked, throwing an arm around the couch and turning his head toward the bed behind him.

"No, actually..." Kurt answered, confused. He sat up on the bed. "I'm an atheist. I thought you knew that."

"Oh," Blaine whispered. "It never came up."

"You're not?" Kurt clarified.

"I'm _really _religious," Blaine repeated, trying to measure Kurt's expression. "I thought _you _knew _that._"

"It never came up," Kurt echoed. "I just figured – cause you're gay..."

"Isn't that kind of a stereotype?" Blaine smiled slightly.

"I guess," Kurt murmured. "So, um, why do have such a – um, strong belief?"

"Well, I told you I was bullied, right?" Kurt nodded. "My parents always raised me as a Christian. We went to church every Sunday. We were even friends with the pastor. He was actually really accepting of me being gay. For the most part, I found acceptance in my community. So when I started getting bullied, I turned to my pastor for help. I asked him what I should do and he told me to pray. Crazy as it sounds, it really did help. I mean, nothing happened immediately. There wasn't any writing across the sky or a giant hand plucking me right from the ground, but I felt comforted. It felt good to talk about it with someone who was just there to listen. And I truly believe that Dalton coming into my life was the work of God. It was my little slice of heaven, literally," Blaine had nearly started to tear up, but he kept it together, staring into his own lap. "Why _don't you _believe?" he asked, looking into Kurt's eyes.

Kurt blinked a few times, taking in what Blaine had said. His story was _moving, _that was for sure, but how could he believe so intensely. Kurt couldn't fathom it. Blaine continued to look at him expectantly as Kurt came back to earth. "Oh, right, my turn... My mom died when I was eight. I prayed _so hard _for her," Kurt paused, taking a shaky breath. No matter how many times he told this story, he still cried. "Every night, I would pray for her to get better, pray that she could come back home but then _God," _he out air quotes around the last word. "Took her away..." Kurt wiped a stray tear away. "I was _eight, _Blaine," Kurt explained. "If there's really a god, why would he take her away from me?" Kurt whimpered. "She was my mom; she was my best friend, she was always there. I _love _my dad, don't get me wrong but my mom was so much better at the emotional stuff. My dad's been forced to get good at it. It was hard for him for a while and that was a bad time for him to not be able to deal with that. The time that I needed him the most..." Blaine crossed the room now, sitting down next to Kurt and throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"Sh," Blaine murmured. "It's okay. You're alright. I'm here." Once Kurt had calmed down enough, Blaine spoke again. He tilted Kurt's chin towards his face with a single finger. "Can I say how I see it?" he asked. Kurt nodded. "God didn't take away an eight year old's mother. That's not how He saw it. It was just her time to go. And He was thinking of the good things that would come from it, like you and your dad. You said yourself your relationship wasn't that strong until after she was gone. Sure, it seems... cruel, but that's how life is." Kurt looked into his lap as Blaine spoke, trying to comprehend how such an amazing boy could be so _stupid._

"How dare you?" Kurt hissed. "That's my _mother _you're talking about. You're telling me she _had _to die? And even _worse, _you're telling me my relationship with my dad wasn't good enough with her around? What? Do you think he didn't have enough love to share with me _and _her?"

_Oh crap. _"No! Kurt that's not what I'm saying at all!"

"Blaine," Kurt nearly whispered, dodging out of Blaine's grip and holding up a single finger, eyes shut. "I don't want to hear it."

"But Kurt," Blaine softly pleaded.

"Just leave," he demanded, keeping his eyes shut.

Blaine obligied, giving his knee a small squeeze. "I'm sorry," he offered and got up to leave. At the last second, he turned around. "Um, Kurt? This is kinda my room..." he said apologetically.

Kurt nodded. "They all look so damn alike," he murmured, bypassing Blaine and exiting the room without another word.

Blaine flopped down on the bed that still smelled like Kurt.

He messed up.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

That whole part about Kurt frolicking in Blaine's head? Totally the image that popped into my head.

But anyway, I'm _so _sorry about how long this update took. And the reason why you didn't hear about why it was taking me so long on my tumblr? I'm kind of afraid of it now. I'll tell the story here rather than on my tumblr cause... like I said, I'm afraid of it.

So, I was innocently searching through tumblr like any other day, no big deal when I find an image post. Basically the gist of it is that you close your eyes, click it and open your eyes and something cute pops up. Instead of something cute though, it's a zombie face that screams at you.

Now, I have a very intense fear of zombies. It stems from my childhood and I'm not gonna get into it here and now.

But anyway, the face popped up and I _flipped out. _I screamed at the top of my lungs, shut my laptop and threw it on the ground. The laptop continued to play the screaming though so, because I wasn't thinking straight, I stomped on it. Thanks to those well-thought-out actions, my laptop screen was left destroyed.

So the past few days have been spent finding the warranty and getting a replacement. And now I'm back.

I will come back to tumblr eventually, but for now I'm just a little irrationally afraid that the second I type in the word tumblr, a zombie will jump out at me. Sad, I know.

But follow me!

http:/ klaine is forever strong (dot) tumblr (dot) com/

Anyway, there's my explanation.

One final thing!

My drabble story will be updated soon. I owe you guys _a lot _of drabbles for all the days I missed with my laptop woes. So expect an update either tonight or tomorrow. Tuesday at the absolute latest!

Which is the day we'll see relationship!Klaine! YAY!

Anyway! I'm ending this very long author's note now. Bye guys!

REVIEW!


	6. Chapter Four: Coffee & Songs

Blaine knew he had screwed up. He shouldn't have said what he did. He should have realized that Kurt is sensitive. He should have been more careful.

But honestly, Kurt shouldn't have gotten so mad either. Blaine had asked for permission to express his opinion, he shouldn't have gotten mad just because he didn't agree.

But Kurt wasn't as strong as he let on; especially when it came to his mother, and in that way, Blaine had to respect him being upset - look at the way he reacted at the mere thought of his father. Blaine and Kurt were both damaged, they couldn't judge each other for it.

But Blaine had to make amends now. Kurt was... stubborn. It wasn't going to be easy to get him to forgive...

But Blaine knew just how.

* * *

At Warblers practice the next day, Blaine approached the council desk; ignoring the way he could feel Kurt's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. "Wes, David, Thad," he addressed.

"Hello, Blaine," Wes greeted. "Did you need something?"

Blaine nervously fixed his tie, telling the story in hushed tones and his plans to fix things. They nodded their acceptance. "Good luck," David whispered with a wink.

Blaine rolled his eyes good-naturedly, taking a seat across from Kurt who immediately lowered his eyes.

Wes banged his gavel, causing the room to fall into silence. "Attention Warblers!" he called.

Thad spoke up, "Before our regular rehearsal today, we have a special performance from Junior member, Blaine Anderson." The Warblers clapped politely, aside from Kurt who finally raised his eyes which were now full of shock.

Blaine stood in front of the group, clearing his throat before diving into the speech he had practised one thousand times. "Kurt, I'm so sorry about what happened between us. I didn't mean to hurt you. I know that this is a... hot topic for you and I should have respected that. I'm so sorry and I hope you'll forgive me... This is my olive branch," Blaine took a deep breath and launched into the song he had chosen.

_"I heard a voice through the discord_

_Of a deluge of passersby._

_I saw one gaze, frozen in time,_

_Watching me passing by,"_

Despite the slightly odd ending to the song, Blaine had chosen it, choosing to ignore that part and cut it short. Aside from that, it was a beautiful song about religion and forgiveness and love; perfect for himself and Kurt at this moment.

_"I swear I'll know your face in the crowd_

_And I'll hear your voice so loud_

_Even when you're whispering,"_

Blaine's voice rang loud and true through the room. Unaware of the performance, the Warblers hadn't prepared an arrangement to back Blaine up. It was just Blaine, Underoath's words, and his voice.

"_Hey unfaithful, I will teach you_

_To be stronger, to be stronger._

_Hey ungrateful, I will teach you_

_To forgive one another,"_

Blaine walked closer to Kurt as he sang. Kurt blushed as he sang about the betrayal of kisses and 'lips of grace'.

"_Oh sweet angel of mercy with your grace like the morning,_

_Wrap your loving arms around me._

_Oh sweet angel of mercy with your grace like the morning,_

_Wrap your loving arms around me._

_Hey unfaithful, I will teach you_

_To be stronger, to be stronger._

_Hey ungrateful, I will teach you_

_To forgive one another._

_Hey unfaithful, I will teach you_

_To be stronger, to be stronger._

_Hey ungrateful, I will teach you_

_To forgive one another,"_

A small smile spread across Blaine's face as he slowly stepped closer still to Kurt, crooning,

"_Hey unloving,_

_I will love you._

_I will love you._

_I will love you,"_

The room exploded with applause as Blaine let out a nervous laugh, looking into Kurt's eyes. _We'll talk, _he mouthed and rehearsal continued as per usual.

* * *

After practice, Kurt approached Blaine. "Coffee?" he asked breathlessly.

Blaine smiled and nodded, telling Kurt he would meet him there. For some reason, they never took the same car.

Blaine followed Kurt the entire way to the little cafe that they loved so much, parking right beside him. Blaine beat Kurt to the door, embellished with the _Lima Bean _logo, opening it for him in a grand gesture. Kurt chuckled lightly as he found their table, pulling Blaine's chair out for him to return the favour. Blaine laughed as he took a seat. "I'll get our order," Kurt said, taking a place in the short line.

Blaine took a moment to admire the boy from behind. He was visibly less upset with Blaine as he had been before; he was less tense, his features had softened and the bounce was back in his step. But there was still unfinished business to attend to – Blaine knew that – but they would talk it out, like they always did, and everything would be okay. This was just a minor bump in the road. They cared about each other too much to let a little - okay, a _big - _disagreement ruin their friendship.

Kurt promptly returned with two medium drips, handing one off. "Blaine Warbler, your medium drip," he offered with a sly grin.

"Rachel Berry, damn you and your adorable drunken nicknames," Blaine quipped, earning a laugh from Kurt.

They sat in silence for a moment, taking things in. They hadn't spoken in a few days, which was a big deal for them. Even when they were busy, they at least sent each other a quick _Hey, how ya doin? _text.

"I didn't think elephants were indigenous to Ohio coffee shops," Kurt spoke up.

"What?"

Kurt sighed, a smile threatening to break through. "The elephant in the room."

"Oh, right," Blaine clued in. "I really don't know what to say. I'm sorry, Kurt. I shouldn't have tried to push my opinion on you and I won't do it again. You're stubborn and I love that about you. You have your opinion and no one else can influence or change that. But as much as I can't change your opinion on this, you can't change mine either. I want to be able to talk about this and other things we disagree on, but I don't want to fight."

"I totally agree," Kurt voiced.

"Can we just agree to listen to each others opinions without trying to change each other?" Blaine asked.

"Deal."

Blaine let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Good. So, do you want to hang out this Friday? Since last time didn't go so well."

"Sure," Kurt grinned, not even stopping to think if he had plans. They could be rescheduled. "My dorm, since your roommate is probably back by now."

"Sounds like a plan," Blaine grinned, checking his watch and realizing he had to call Jen soon. "Look, I've gotta get going but we'll talk later. I'll text you tonight. Alright?"

"Bye, Blaine."

"Bye, Kurt."

* * *

Blaine got back to his dorm in record time. 7:55pm. Perfect. He quickly drew himself a glass of water and threw on his pyjamas. Just as the shirt was over his head, his cell phone rang. "Hey, Jen," Blaine smiled.

"Hey, Buddy! How's it goin'?"

"Great. How's my niece or nephew?" Blaine asked.

"Great. We're going to the doctor tomorrow for the first ultrasound. Hear it's heartbeat and all that."

"Can't wait to hear about it," Blaine said sincerely.

"So how'd your date with Kurt go?" Jen winked.

Blaine felt himself begin to blush, although he knew his sister couldn't see him. "Um, not well actually."

He could practically hear her face fall. "What happened?"

"Well, um, his dad is a mechanic," Blaine began to explain. "But I didn't know that before, so I asked and he asked me if I liked cars and I just..." Blaine held back a small sob. "I thought of that day, in the driveway -"

"Shh," Jen cut him off. "It's okay. What did you do?"

"I bolted."

Silence. "Blaine, you can't keep running from your problems."

"I know."

"I know you know but... I want my son – _your nephew – _to be able to look up to his uncle for being so brave and courageous. I want him to see you – out and proud and brave..." Jen paused. "Look, I don't expect you to do it anytime soon, but... I think you should confront Dad."

Blaine choked on his water. "I can't," he managed.

"Yes, you _can. _Blaine, you're more courageous than you really know. I'm not going to spoon-feed you what you need to know; you need to go out there and find out for yourself. All I'm going to say is you can do this and that I believe in you."

"Thank you," Blaine rasped.

"Thank _you."_

"For what?"

"For being who you are."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Finally got this chapter out! I've been crazy busy with school and homework and friends. Then I got a job and I was gonna get this out earlier in the week but then I got terribly sick and just couldn't do it, but here it is! I'll really try to get this out more often cause I know how much _I _hate when people don't update often.

Also, does anyone know any really great betas to help with fodder and such? My beta is going through a bit of a rough time so I need a replacement.

And finally – THE FINALE! Oh my God! I freaked out! Like I'm sure all of you did. Just AHHHHHHHHH! This is not coherent at all... This is:

http:/ klaineisforeverstrong (dot) tumblr (dot) com / post / 5864086522 / my-thoughts-on-the-i-love-you

Yes, that's my tumblr.

Also, the song from earlier is Underoath's "_Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape". _I think Blaine could pull that off. Aside from the screamo part like I said before. It comes out of nowhere. O.o I was so weirded out when I first heard it.

Long author's note is long.

Bye! Love you! Please review!


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